Dick Spotswood: College trustee Conti to run against Levine for Assembly spot

In next June's first round primary election, Marin and parts of south and central Sonoma County will see a contested race for the state Assembly.

Marin Community College Trustee Diana Conti will run for the Assembly against fellow Democrat, Assemblyman Marc Levine.

Conti's surprise move has prompted a third Democrat, Santa Rosa Councilwoman Erin Carlstrom, to make her move to enter the contest.

Conti, 65, who is a Tamalpais Valley nonprofit executive, mounted an aggressive campaign for re-election to the college board, garnering the support of 59 percent of all participating voters and coming in first.

The 30-year-old Carlstrom was first elected to the Rose City's council just last year. She ran and won, positioning herself as a bridge between the City Council's pro-business, public employee labor unions, and “guided growth” environmental factions.

Until last month she had been a candidate for the open North Bay/North Coast state Senate seat being vacated next year by one-term Sen. Noreen Evans, D-Santa Rosa. After abandoning that race, the councilwoman, attorney and proud new mother mulled a run for an open seat on Sonoma's Board of Supervisors.

Now along with Conti, she's entered the multi-candidate race to challenge Levine, the first-term assemblyman from San Rafael.

The elephant in the room is public employee labor. With a substantial political war chest, the unions have the financial clout to make any race competitive. These are the folks who crack the whip in Sacramento.

The competition will be fierce between Conti and Carlstrom to get the nod from this power group.

It's no secret that labor's been looking for a candidate to knock off Levine.

These unions are still smarting over the 2012 upset by Levine of former Assemblyman Michael Allen, past chairman of the North Bay Labor Council. Labor's role in the Sonoma third of the district is far more powerful than in more private sector-oriented Marin.

Conti's strategy will be to force Carlson out of the race. Two pro-labor Democratic women candidates is one too many.

Levine's job is to consolidate moderate Democrats, Republicans and, most importantly, independents who constitute the second-largest voting bloc in the 10th Assembly District.

Despite being a life-long Democrat, Levine has been consistently criticized by some progressives, militant environmentalists and segments of organized labor as being “too moderate,” a taunt that's brought him considerable Republican and independent support but enmity from labor and progressives.

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The big political news in Marin is the surprise decision by Carol Brandt to pull out of the race for county supervisor in the San Rafael-centered 1st Supervisorial District. That leaves the incumbent, Susan Adams, to face off against San Rafael Councilman Damon Connolly.

Brandt is leaving the contest because “I'm a realist. I just can't pull together the financial support needed to make this an effective campaign.” The Peacock Gap business consultant was advised that she needed to raise $50,000 by the Dec. 31 campaign finance disclosure deadline if she was to be considered a serious player in the June primary. She fell far short.

Because Brandt has been highly critical of Adams individually and the Board of Supervisors collectively, it's unlikely that she will now endorse the incumbent.

That means that Brandt can look forward to Connolly knocking on her door. A Brandt endorsement of Connolly would bring him significant support, particularly from opponents of high-density housing. Of course such an endorsement depends on how Connolly lines up on the issues that are key to Brandt.

All in all, her withdrawal is a plus for Connolly who no longer has to worry about splitting the anti-Adams vote with Brandt.